» Film: Sonja and the Bull

What happens when modern concerns about animal rights clash with long-standing traditions? Director Vlatka Vorkapić presents one possibility in her film Sonja and the Bull (Croatian title: Sonja i bik).

The film tells the story of Sonja Sterle, a young vegetarian and animal rights activist living in Zagreb played by Judita Franković. An opponent of traditional bullfighting in the Dalmatian hinterland, Sonja speaks out against the practice on national television, angering the locals who consider it an important custom. They decide to present Sonja with a challenge to test the strength of her beliefs.

Ante Kevo, a charming young insurance salesman, is chosen as the town’s messenger. He seeks out Sonja and presents her with the challenge: to actually stand face to face with the animal she hopes to protect. If Sonja wins the bet, the bull will be spared. If she loses, she must take back her tirade against bullfighting.

Sparks fly between Sonja and Ante, played by Goran Bogdan, giving the film a hint of romance. Though Sonja and the Bull borders on romantic comedy, it’s the cultural clash between the two young protagonists that drives the film, offering insightful commentary on modern thought and old-world practice without pinpointing a guilty party.

Sonja and the Bull, Vorkapić’s debut feature-length film, had the best box office opening for a Croatian film in 10 years. At the 2012 Pula Film Festival, the film won the Golden Arena Award for Best Screenplay (Vlatka Vorkapić), the Golden Arena Award for Best Costume Design (Slavica Šnur), and Best Musical Score (Stanko Kovačić, Damir Martinović, Ivanka Mazurkijević).

At the 2013 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, Sonja and the Bull won the Platinum Remi in the feature film category.

Vorkapić studied TV and film directing at the Academy of Dramatic Art and Comparative Literature and Czech Language and Literature in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. She is member of the Croatian Film Directors’ Guild and is the screenwriter and director of many award-winning documentary and fiction series (Pučka intima, Zagonetni ulomak, Pričopričalica, Kad zvoni?). She has also directed some twenty documentary films, two short feature films, and several award-winning plays.